Toby and the Great Storm
by RetroCaboose
Summary: Toby must brave a terrifying storm when Percy gets stranded on a bridge
It was a warm evening on the Island of Sodor as Toby puffed down the line with his rolling stock, Henrietta and Elsie. They quietly moved through the woods to make it home to Ffarquhar in time.

"Looks like we're in for a storm Old Boy," said his driver as they stopped to drop off the last passengers at Toryreck.

"Oh dear, oh dear," worried Henrietta and Elsie.

"Don't worry girls, we'll all be safe in our sheds for the night," chuckled the old steam tram, "But how bad can a storm really be,"

"You'd be surprised," said Percy as pulled into the station with some empty trucks, "Driver's radio said that there could even be a flood! And high winds and heavy rain all night long!"

"Oh my," said Toby, who was now worrying as well, "I hope that we'll be safe."

"Pah!" exclaimed Percy, "I've taken on a flood all by myself before!"

"I wouldn't call getting a help from Harold 'independence'," chuckled his driver as they steamed away, "Don't worry about us Toby, we have a mail run. The mail must come rain or shine!"

That night, Toby, Thomas, and Daisy couldn't fall asleep in the sheds. The wind and rain howled through the night and rattled off the roof. Suddenly a loud crack of thunder followed by bright fingers of lightning scared them witless!

"That was terrifying!" whined Thomas.

"I can't get any beauty sleep!" complained Daisy.

"I'm worried about Percy. We should go find him," suggested Toby.

"Are you crazy!? In this weather, the rain will spoil my paintwork," Daisy hissed.

"I hate to say this but Daisy's right, Toby. We'll catch our deaths out there!"

"Well somebody's gotta make sure our friend's safe," and with that Toby chuffed away, on his own, into the storm.

As he rolled down the line, the thunder and lightning were more frequent, illuminating the forest and scaring poor Toby. But then, a branch fell onto the tracks!

"Oh no! We have to go around!" said Toby, bravely.

He reversed to go around, when more branches and leaves began to fall. Suddenly, Toby could hear a deafening crack as a mighty oak tree began to fall over. The steam tram mustered up enough steam to bolt right past it as it crashed onto the tracks.

"That was a little too close for comfort," said his driver as they continued to find Percy, "Maybe we should turn back,"

"No!" protested Toby, "We must find Percy! What if he's in danger!"

When they reached a little cabin by the tracks, Toby rang his bell to get the occupants attention.

"Excuse me, sir, have you seen a little green engine go past?"

"Why yes," was the response, "Last I saw, he was headed for Elsbridge."

"Thank you sir," called Toby's driver as they rode on.

Soon, the branchline looked much different. Broken branches and fallen trees surrounded the track. The wind whistled and whipped over the woods and the rain pounded from the swirling gray sky. Toby eventually found Percy on the bridge over River Els.

"Percy!" he yelled, "Are you okay?"

"No!" Percy responded, "I'm really scared! The bridge is starting to give way and the mail vans don't want to come with me!"

"Don't worry," reassured Toby, "I'll be over there to help you," He started to move towards the bridge when the driver applied the brakes.

"Not so fast!" he said, " That's no longer a bridge,"

Toby's driver was right, many of the stones had fallen into the water below and the track was only held up by a wooden frame. It began to split as the wind threw it back and forth.

"This is horrible!" gasped Toby, but suddenly he spied a rope from the frame on the tracks in front of him, "That gives me an idea! Driver, can you please tie that rope to my buffers? If I pull on it, then I can support the remaining bridge,"

"That sounds like a stupid plan! But it just might work!" yelled Percy, "But it just may work. If I die, I will haunt you for all eternity!"

"That's a chance we're willing to take," said Toby's driver as he finished knotting the rope around Toby's buffers, "Now Old Boy! Pull harder than you've ever before!"

Toby began to pull backwards, but as Percy started to cross, he didn't think that he could hold it. The weight of a tank engine, plus three coaches of mail would surely pull Toby into the water!

"I...Can't...Do it!" yelled Toby as he strained to keep his friend from tumbling off the bridge.

"But you can!" encouraged Percy.

"No! You're too heavy for me!"

"Don't give up on me just yet!"

Toby continued to struggle to hold the bridge. But as soon as Percy finished crossing, it split in two and dropped into River Els! Toby was worn out by the whole ordeal and didn't have enough strength to get back home.

Now was Percy's turn to repay the favor, and he shunted Toby all the way home. When they finally pulled into the Ffarquhar Sheds. Exhausted but no longer afraid of the storm because they knew, that with friendship, the engines could overcome anything.

 **THE END**


End file.
